Device for feeding moist air and steam to carburetors



Oct. 16, 1923. 1,470,692

C. V. M CARLEY DEVICE FOR FEEDING MOIST AIR AND STEAM TO CARBURETORS Filed May 9, 1921 as I /O E /Z 52 Z8 I /6 E INVENTOR.

Patented Unit. 16, 1923.

j than rein.

CLARK. MGCARLEY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR FEEDING T'IL'OIST ELIlE-i' AND STE-Alli TO CARBURETORS;

Application filed. May 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CLARK v. a citizen of the United States of America, residing: at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for l eeding liloist .f'tir and Steam to Cari buretors, oi: which the iollowing is a specification. I

My present invention relates generally to devices for feeding moist air and steam to the carl'iurctors of internal Combustion enmoist air to the carburetor when the en' pine is stopped i In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my present invention, and forms a part e'l this specification,

Figure l is a side view of an internal conibastion engine, 'iartlv in section, showing the practical application o't my invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the valve fitting",

F i gure 3 is a detail cross section through the exhaust pipe and fluid container talien on the vertical line of its iluid connection,

Figure 4t a partial. side view oi? thecxhaust pipe with the luid containi-zr thereon, Figure 5 is a cross section through the exhaust pipe adjacent to one cndct the air heating stove,

in'urc (i is a side view thereof, and. l' ig'ure T is a vertical transverse section taken on line" T oi l igurefi.

lle'i'erringr now to these 'lit'urcs have shown in Figure i. an intake uaniiold it) and exhaust pipe 11. oi an internal combustion engine for instance as used in a vehicle of which the dash appears at 12 and the instrument board at 13, the latter having a control button 14 for a purpose to he presently described, which may if desired be coupled in any suitable manner with the control ot the ignition. i

T it

A. fluid reservoir 15 is preferably mounted lvloCAnLnY,

Serial 1%. tease-5f upon the inner forward surtace of the instrumcnt board 13 where it can be conveniently reached for hll ngpurpcses from time to time, and from this reservoir a teedpipe l6 leaos forwardly through the dash and s ,1! I V I" pieieiaoi; provided with a cutoff valve 11 ad aeent to the reservoir 15 and thus within "convenient reach otthe operator.

The lower forward end of the feed pipe 16 communicates by means of a lateral nippic 18 w th a flu d COntilll'lGl'lQ secured in any suitable manner upon one side of a por tion of theexhaust pipe ll and opening up-t wardlyas particularly seen in Figures 3 and "7. This fluid container is preferably filled with a non-combustible absorbent material as for instance wool asbestos and it is obvious that with the valve 17 open teed bv gravity of water from the reservoir 15 is provided for to the container 20 so that when the exhaust pipe llibecomes heated in the normal action of the engine steam or water vapor can freely rise from the upper open end or". the container 19.

The carburetor shown at 21 in Figure 1 has the usual, air intake nipple 22 which in i accordance *ith my in ention is connected by a valve fitting 23 with one end of a pipe 524 having; at its opposite end a downwardly openinp generally rectangular air heating stove partly embracing the exhaust pipe 11 and. also enclosing at one side the fluid container 207 Stove may be secured in i any suitable manner to the exhaust pipe 11 as for instance by hook bolts 26.

The valve littinp; 23 has a depending outlet: 2'7 normally covered bva valve piece 28 which swl on a pivot pin 29 so that it may he shiitted from a horizoi'ital position closing the outlet to a vertical position against an internal valve seatingrib 30 to close the air passage to the carburetor at a point between the carl'mretorand the outlet Q7, and at. the same time place this outlet 27 in communication with the pipe 2 L leading tron: the air heating stove.

The pivot pin 29 has an external arm 31 seen in l iguri 1. connected by a rod 32 with one arm oi a bell crank the other arm of which is connected b v a rod 34; whose rear end projects rearwardly through a vertical slotted opening in the dash 12. This rear end of rod is ad ustablv clamped at 35 to one slotted end of a lever 36 fulcrumed upon i the dash 12, and to the other end of which is pivotally connected the forward end of a rod 37 connected at its rear end with the control button 14 before described. The adjustable clamp provides for the adjustment of the throw of rod 34: depending upon the proportion of movement available at the control button 14: in respect to therequired swinging movement of the valve piece 28, and for adjusting purposes the rod 34 is preferably in section connected by a turnbuckle or similar adjustable coupling as at 38.

Thus at the start of operations the button 14 is pulled upwardly from the instrument board 13 which throws the valve piece 28 from the vertical position shown in dotted lines in Figure l to the horizontal working position shown in full lines in Figure 2' so that when the engine is started its suction draws air into the carburetor 2lthrough the stove 25, which air is slightly moistened by virtue of its passage over the upper open end of the fluid container 19.

As the engine warms up and the exhaust pipe 11 becomes heated, steam or vapor will be generated within the fluid container 19 andwill rise therefrom into the stove 25 to join with the air and pass to the carburetor. Then the engine is again shut offv control button i l is pressed inwardly to shift the valve 28 back to the position of Figure 1 and thus prevent passage of moistair and steam so as to avoid the possibility of condensing within the carburetor, the steam subsequently rising from the fluid container until the exhaust pipe 11 cools, finding a free outlet through the outlet extension 27 of the valve fitting.

I am aware that it is well known that the feeding of steam and moist air as a part of the combustible fuel of an internal combustion engine will retard the formation of carbon within the engine cylinders and in this way tend to maintain uniform efiiciency of the motor as well as to effect economy in fuel.

I am not aware however that this has been accomplished in the manner proposed by my present invention nor under control as shown to which my invention is efficiently adapted.

I claim:

An engine exhaust pipe having a container adapted to hold absorbent material fixed to its side and opening upwardly at a point below the top of the pipe, a fluid supply pipe leading into the said container at one side, a stove in the form of a downwardly opening air container having end walls cut away to seat on the exhaust pipe and having side walls depending at the sides of said exhaust pipe, one of which side walls extends along said container in spaced relation thereto and has a vertical slot receiving said fluid supply pipe, hook bolts depending from the top of said stove and embracing the exhaust pipe to detachably hold the stove in position whereby the stove may be readily removed from the exhaust pipe and said container without wholly detaching the said bolts.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

CLARK V. MCCARLEY. 

